Print edition: 
Brant Dumford said he first encountered racial prejudice as a half-white, half-black man when he was 21.
The father of a young woman he was in a relationship with did not approve.
"This is an issue I have personally witnessed and been a part of," said Dumford, now 23.
That's why he is working with Lori Lawrence and Pat Thompson to organize the first Loving Day Celebration in Wichita. Saturday's event at Hyde Park is organized by and for interracial married couples and their children.
"This will be a wonderful opportunity to be around people undergoing the same challenges and to communicate about the issue," Dumford said.
The Loving Day name comes from Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Supreme Court decision that ended race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.
"We found it quite perfect that a couple named Richard and Mildred Loving won their right to marry," Lawrence said. "Loving Day refers to two kinds of loving: the couple in the Supreme Court case and the original definition of loving."
Loving Day has been celebrated on or around June 12, the day of the Supreme Court decision, in other cities across the United States since 2004.
Dumford's family, which owns Delano Bakery, will provide hot dogs and refreshments at the celebration. Rudy Love Jr. will provide entertainment.
"I'm excited because it's something that needs to happen in Wichita," Dumford said. "You just can't go wrong with love."
